Faster Shuttles for Jerrycans, New Competitors in Injection-Blow

Blow molding machinery suppliers appear to be holding their cards close to the vest, with only a few providing advance word of what they will be showing at K 2016. As for the pre-show news that has leaked out, what’s remarkable is that much of it comes from machine builders not in the blow molding business—at least not before now.

After exploring development of all-electric and hybrid injection-blow machines, Jomar Corp., Egg Harbor Township, N.J., has decided that servo-hydraulic is the most cost-effective and customer-friendly way to go. Jomar announced hybrid machines with electric screw drive at K 2010 and K 2013 but concluded that maintenance costs were excessive. At this show, it is introducing the IntelliDrive series of servo-hydraulic machines that offer energy savings comparable to all-electrics (40–50% less than standard hydraulics) at a cost only 10–15% more than a conventional hydraulic unit and with no change in footprint.

With a variable-frequency pump drive, the new units use 40% less hydraulic oil and less than half as much cooling-tower water as standard hydraulics, while emitting substantially less ambient heat. Closed-loop clamp hydraulics and a digital displacement transducer reportedly offer more exact control and faster open/close speeds for a dry cycle of only 1.8 seconds and reduced impact on tooling, extending its life. In addition, the reinforced main plate minimizes deflection, and the preform cylinder has a quick-change mounting system.

Jomar may be getting fresh competition from three suppliers of injection molding machines that will show presses modified for injection-blow molding at K.

Last month’s Keeping Up previewed a developmental machine from Engel (U.S. office in York, Pa.) based on a horizontal, all-electric e-motion 220 press with a rotating cube mold from FOBOHA of Germany (U.S. office in Beverly, Mass.). Blowing occurs 180° opposite the injection position, and in the fourth station, a six-axis robot removes the PP containers and places them on a conveyor. Described as a “proof-of-principle” pilot project, the current mold has eight cavities, but Engel says it could be scaled up to a whopping 96 cavities without compromising cycle time or accuracy.

Wittmann Battenfeld (U.S. office in Torrington, Conn.) will show its concept for injection-blow molding on a horizontal, servo-hydraulic SmartPower 240 press with a two-cavity, indexing-plate mold from Grosfilley of France. Preforms for 150-ml bottles are injected in one station, blown in the second, and ejected free-falling in the third. If a fourth station were added, the preforms could be overmolded with a second color or material.

Boy Machines (U.S. office in Exton, Pa.) also plans to present a machine for injection-blow but revealed no details.